Fuel-oil feed system for crude-oil burners



I A. J. BRADLEcY FUEL OIL FEED SYSTEM FOR CRUDE OIL BURNERS 2 sheets sheet 1 Filed Au 24, 1926 I N VEN TOR.

V 33., D m m own um WM Wf 3W Feb. 1 v, A. J. BRADLEY FUEL OII FEED SYSTEM FOR FUDE OIL BURNERS Filed Aug. 24, 1926 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 4 w 3 ,R w. 2 1w m8 we .1 w m 4 m f r w 8 a I I I I III IIIIIIIIIII'III m i I I I I i I I I I l I l 4 v w 1 m 5 Patented Feb. 1, 19227.

era 5 ARTHUR J. BRADLEY, F OAKLAND, CALIFORNIA, ASSIGNOR 'IO S. '1. J 0H1? SON 00., OF i OAKLAND, CALIFORNIA.

l FUEL-OIL FEED SYSTEM FOR CRUDE-01L BURNEBS.

' Application fi1ed August 24, 1926. Serial No. 131,228.

This invention relates to improvements in the oil feed systemtor crude oil burners.

The general aim of the present invention is to provide for the more efficient opera- 5 tion of the fuel-oil supply line to the burner atomizer, causing the flow of fuel-oil thru the atomizer to be more regular, continuous and uniform.

One of the obj ectsof the invention is the provision of relatively simple and eflicient means for controlling the delivery of fueloil to the burner atomizer especially at the moment of starting the burner operation.

Another object of the invention is the provision of a separator tank within the fuel-oil feed line to the burner, and the provision of means for filling said separator tank from a main storage reservoir by the use of a motor operated pumping system.-

Another object is the provision of means for freeing the fuel-oil of air which has .been absorbed thereby, and this is of especial value in the use of rotary burners using a pumping system. f

To obtain this result, the rapid flow of oil must be caused to change its direction rather suddenly and be spread over an enlarged area, so that the particles of air, by meansv of their vis viva, assisted by their low specific weight will fail to follow the change of direction of the oil, but will separate therefrom. The'objects of the invention thus generally stated, together with other and ancillary advantages, are attained by'the construction and arrangement illustrated in the accompanying drawings forming part hereof, whereinI have illustrated a practical embodiment of the invention, in which Figure 1 is an elevational view of the fuel-oil lines to a rotary burner pump, including the discharging line from the pumping system with its connections to the storage reservoir and showing the location of the fuel-oil return line; r

Fig; 2 is a vertical sectional view taken through the separator tank device; 7

Fig. 3 is a top plan view of the separator tank device; and

Fig. 4 is across sectional view of the separator tank device on line IV-IV of Fig. 2. Referrin to the drawings, in which like reference c aracters are used to denote corseparator tank device connected within the responding parts in the diiterentviews, the

letter S on Fig. 1, denotes a liquid fuel-oil separating apparatusinterposed in the fueloil discharging line from the pumpto the burner. A storage reservoir T, preferably placed underground, outside of the building, is connected with the pump P, by means of a suction line 10, preferably leading thru a primary strainer chamber 11, so that any. particles of foreign matter will be arrested The pump P isoperatively connected to the burner motorshaft by means of a suitable interposed gear (not shown).

The separating apparatus S is constructed substantially asgillustrated in Fig. 2. It consists otasingle metallic casing member 12, slightly reduced in circumference at the top, as at 13, relative to the casing member 12. for the purpose of forming a fuel-oil receiving chamber 14 of reduced size, to be hereinafter described. This reduced part is closed at the top by means of a removable closing cap 15, secured in position by means of a yokeconstruction 16 provided with a set-screw 17. The casing member 12 forming the separating chamber 18. I

Connection is made with the fuel-oil discharging line D, from the pump P, as at 19, by means of an oil conduit 20, formed integrally with the casing member 12, extending upwardly from the base thereof and provided with an inlet port 21 ,tosaid tuel-' oil receiving chamber 14. An: outlet port 22, positioned in the opposite direction from said inlet port 21, within said chamber 14, forms a passage by means of a pipe line 23,

to the storage reservoir T, for returning? thereto the umor portion of the fuel oil passing thru said chamber 14. e p

' Formed interiorly, between the reduced fuel-oil receiving chamber 14 and the sepa-i rating chamber18', is a horizontal partition 24, provided with a centrally disposed opening to receivetherein a'circu'lar reinforced strainer basket 25. said basket, having a collar 26 at its upper end to form a retaining means for said basket within said opening. A

handle 27, in the form of a loop is secured to said collar to facilitate the 'removal'and replacement of the strainer basket.

The bottom of the chamber 18 is provided with a tubular boss 28, which is interiorly threaded to receive a threaded end of the fuel-oil feed line 29, thru which the fuel-oil is conducted tothe burner. I a a v A, relief valve 30, is interposed in the fuel oil return line 28, serves the-purpose of 'maintaining a certain back pressure within 1 said separating chamber 18, being adjustable to suitvarying conditions of service. 'working pressure on the oil within the'chanr- The ber 18 may be disclosed by the gage 81.

In operation, the fuel-oil entering the separating apparatus at 19, thru the fuel-oil discharging line from the pump P, rises in the conduit 20 and flows thru the receiving chamber 14 towards the fuel-oil return line port 22. In other words, the fuel-oil enters in'an upwardly direction, and is then diverted horizontally therefrom towards the circular strainer basket 25, from whose rim a part of the fuel-oil falls downwardly and passing-thru the strainer is collected with in the chamber 18. The major portion of the fuel-oil passing out thru the port 22 and thru the relief valve 30, returning to the storage reservoir T. The oil thus flows in a continuous cycle, a certain regulated quantity beingttaken to the burner. The fueloil'in passing into-the strainer basket 25, is

thereby caused to change its direction of flow rather suddenly and is spread over an enlarged area. The particles ofair contained in the fuel-oil tend to continue the forward course, because of their vis viva imparted by the rapid flow of the oil, and because of lief valve 30, so that the fuel-oil passes even- 1y to the burnerin a steadily flowing stream.

A certain quantity of fuel-oil is always malntained withm'said chamber 18, thus securmg a more regular, continuous and uniform oil delivery tothe burner." This is of: considerable importance, especially on thestartmgQoi the burner, because the use of this device provides an immediatelyavail- ,abl'e sup'plyjot fuel-oil to the burner, not

dependent upon the supply to betur nished "by'the'pum'p operated by the burner motor and very often "resulting in a belated fuel-- 'oil delivery. I V p A'n"electrically operated fuel-oil stopjvalve E is provided in the fuel-oil feed line between: the J separating apparatus and the burn'erjand is controlled by the switch in the electric circuit that operates the motor (not shown) the parts beingarranged so that the valve is held open to permit the flow of fuel- "oilto the 'burnerso long" as the current passes to the motor and is closed to a positively shut-off of the fuel-oil supply to the burner when the motor stops. This valve furnishes a positive cut-otf t'or thefuel-oil between the chamber 18 and the burner atomizer, it prevents the passage of even a limitedamount of the fuel-oil contained in the chamber of the separating apparatus to When the the burner when-themotor stops.

motor starts, this valve is simultaneously line from said pumping system tothe-burner,

a separatingdevice interposed in saidclischarging line thru which a part of the fueloil drawn'from the reservoir 15; te'd'to the burner and the major.'portionreturned to said reservoir; said separatingdevicegcomprising a single metallic' casing formedwith a circumterentially reduced upper part-and having a" removable cover-cap associated therewith, said part forming a receiving chamber of reduced size, a vertically disposed oil conduit interior of said casing and integral therewith, communicating with said receiving chamber, a fuel-oil return outlet provided in said. receiving chamber and leading to the reservoir, a horizontal partition within said receiving, chamber provided with an openingto' receive a strainer basket extending downwardly and centrally within said casing, thus acting onthe fueloil as it, emerges from the 'oil'conduit to effect a sudden changein its direction/of flow thru'said strainer basket, an outlet port in thejbottom' of said casing in communication with the fuel-oil feed line to the burner.

2.;[11 combination with a rotary burner, a fuel-oil reservoir, a pump, a fuel oil line leading from said reservoir to said pumlina fuel-oil discharging line from said pump'to the burner, a separating device interposed in said discharging line thru which a part of the fuel-oil drawn from the resorvior is fed to the burner and the major portion thereof returned to said reservoir; said separatingdevice comprisinga single metallic casing, forming'a main fuel oilchamber and formed with a contracted.upperpart, said contracted parthaving a removable. top cover associated therewith and forming a receiving chamber" of reduced size, a Vertically disposed fuel-oilc-onduit interior of said casmg in communication with saidtreoeiving chamber, to receive a mixture of fuel-oil and air to direct it upwardly into said receiving chamber, a horizontal partltlon betweensaid chambers, a strainer basket suspended from said horizontal partition, said mixture having its direction of flow quickly changed in passing thru said strainer basket to separate the air from the fuel-oil, an outlet port for the air and surplus fuel-oil in said receiving chamber, a pressure responsive relief valve controlling the flow of the fuel-oil and air leading to a separating device, a surplus fuel-' oil return line connecting said separating device with said reservoir; said separating device comprising a receptacle having a main fuel-oil chamber-and a reduced fuel-oil receiving chamber on the top thereof, said chambers separated by a' horizontal partition, a closing cover for said reduced chamher, a fuel-oil conduit between the discharging line of said pump and the said receiving chamber, a surplus fuel-oil return line leading from'said receiving chamber to the reservoir, a fluid pressure responsive valve interposed in said fuel-oil return line contrlling the return flow, said partition provided with an opening to receive a strainer basket whereby the fuel-oil entering the receiving chamber, by the pump pressure, is caused to pass in part thru said relief valve and hence to the reservoir, while a smaller portion is.

caused to first change its direction of flow to pass thru said strainer basket into the main fuel-oil chamber, an outlet provided in the bottom thereof communicating with the burner feed line. Y

4. In combination with a rotary oil burna er, a fuel-oil reservoir, a pump, a fuel-oil line leading from said reservoir to said pump, a fuel-oil discharging line leading from the pump to a separating device, a surplus fuel-oil return line leading from this separating device to said reservoir; said separating device comprising a receptacle having a main fuel-oil chamber and a reduced fuel-oil receiving chamber superimposed thereon, said chambers separated by a horizontal partition, a removable cover plate for said reduced chamber, a fuel-oil conduit con necting the discharging line from the pump with said receiving chamber, a surplus fueloil line leading from said receiving cham her to the reservoir, a fluid pressure responsive relief valve interposed in said fuel-oil return line controlling the return flow from said receiving chamber, said horizontal partition provided with an opening toreceive a strainer basket, whereby the fuel-oil entering the receiving chamber is caused topass in part thru said basket into the main fueloil chamber, while the major portion is caused to return thru said relief valve to the reservoir, a fuel-oil feed line leading fromthebottom of said chamber'to the burner, means associated with said feed line to shut-- off the flow of fuel-oil to the buner when not in operation.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature.

' ARTHUR J. BRADLEY. 

